2nd Half Century Junior Scholars Essay Competition

We invite junior scholars around the world with new and innovative ideas to submit them to the LSA Project on the 2nd Half Century. The winning submissions will be posted on the LSA website and authors invited to present their ideas at the 50th Anniversary Meeting in Minneapolis MN May 29-June 1 2014. Winning authors will receive a substantial subsidy to cover the cost of participation and a year’s free membership to the Law and Society Association.

The competition is organized by the LSA Project on the 2nd Half-Century, which was created on the eve of LSA’s 50th Anniversary to stimulate discussion about the future role of the Association. We invite junior scholars to submit short essays on the following theme:

What is the future of socio-legal studies, what new possibilities exist, and what innovations should the Law and Society Association consider as it enters the 2nd Half-Century?

Essays must be in English. They cannot exceed 2000 words. They could consider use of new technologies, new ways to build scholarly networks, new training initiatives, and other innovations. Successful essays may include assessment of present LSA activities as well as proposals for innovation.

What are the awards for winning authors? The five winning essays will be posted on the LSA Website and authors will be invited to participate in a special 50th Anniversary Roundtable at the Law and Society 2014 Annual Meeting in Minneapolis. Winning authors will receive travel support to attend the meeting, FREE registration, and a FREE one year membership to the Law and Society Association. Participation in the 50th Anniversary Roundtable does not count towards the one participation rule.

Who can apply? The competition is open to graduate students, post-docs, and assistant professors or people in equivalent entry level academic positions from anyplace in the world.

What travel support is available? The five winning authors will receive support for attendance at the 2014 annual meeting. Travel support can include airfares, local transport, and/or lodging. LSA will reimburse travelers for actual costs on submission of receipts. Travelers coming from within North America may apply for up to $750 and those coming from outside North America for up to $1750.

The submission must include the essay and full contact information and a one paragraph bio-bibliographic statement indicating current academic affiliation and status (e.g. graduate student, post doc, or assistant professor or similar entry level appointment).